A Hermeneutical Diverse Matrix of Peace,Justice,and the Gospel

Abstract

Though peace is the most important theme in human history and also in church history, it is not so easy to lead to peace or to discuss on peace. In the previous discussions on peace, there have been some diverse positions such as holy war, just war, pacifism and so on. And recently a new discussion on just peace has been increasing especially centering around the World Council of Churches (WCC). This article explores a brief trajectory of the new discussion on just peace centering around the WCC and its subsequent relation to Korean church. Then this article investigates theological discussions on peace in Korean church, by taking a close look at four famous and influential figures, each of whom represents one position of the whole spectrum. This article pays special attention to the gospel in those discussions, because it is obvious that the gospel of the Scripture is about peace, which is ‘shalom’ (םולשָ‎) in the Old Testament and ‘eirene’ (εἰρήνη) in the New Testament. In so doing, this article argues that a robust theological discussion on peace in the future requires a more elaborate matrix of peace, justice, and the gospel, though with an open hermeneutical diversity.

Peace is the most important theme in human history and also in church history. Life in the world is actually dotted with numerous conflicts, divisions, invasions, and wars to the extent that all human beings eagerly long for peace. Currently, the world is in a state of being severely shaken by the war caused by Russian aggression into Ukraine, so the hope for peace is more earnestly requested. ¹

In the previous discussions on peace, there have been some diverse positions such as holy war, just war, pacifism and so on. Each position has played its own role in its own historical context. And recently a new discussion on just peace has been increasing especially centering around the World Council of Churches (WCC). This new discussion shows an intricate relation between peace and justice, thereby restricting the bounds of holy war or just war, but also not being confined to the limits of pacifism. ²

This article explores a brief trajectory of the new discussion on just peace centering around the WCC and its subsequent relation to Korean church. Then this article investigates theological discussions on peace in Korean church by paying special attention to the gospel in those discussions. Obviously, the gospel of the Scripture is about peace, which is ‘shalom’ (שָׁלוֹם‎) in the Old Testament and ‘eirene’ (εἰρήνη) in the New Testament. In so doing, this article argues that a robust theological discussion on peace in the future requires a more elaborate matrix of peace, justice, and the gospel, though with an open hermeneutical diversity.

Just Peace: An Intricate Relation between Peace and Justice

Since the second half of the 20^th century, the concept of just peace has been proposed and discussed centering around the WCC. Specifically, this concept was developed in the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) held in Kingston, Jamaica from May 17 to 25, 2011. And this concept was clearly announced in a document, ‘An Ecumenical Call to Just Peace.’ ³ As a commentary on this document, Just Peace Companion was also published, ⁴ which contains biblical, theological, and ethical reflections.

According to Just Peace Companion, the concept of just peace first appeared in ecumenical thought in the Commission on Just and Durable Peace established by the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in the United States in 1941. In 1985, the United Church of Christ (UCC) in America adopted a statement at its 15^th General Assembly, which declares that UCC is a just peace church and deals with the concept of just peace.

According to Kyo-Seong Ahn, the concept of just peace has already appeared since the 1970s. ‘According to Jimmy R. Watson, the first scholar to use the term just peace is Max Stackhouse (1971), and the first church to deal with it as an official document is the Scottish [Presbyterian] Church (1975).’ ⁵ At a very similar time in the United Kingdom, there was a work on just peace in the late 1970s, which involved three groups: London group, Edinburgh group, and Belfast group. Their work finally resulted in a publication of A Just Peace: A Theological Exploration. ⁶

According to Sungsoo Kim, it is Wolfgang Huber who developed the concept of just peace in Germany. Huber developed an ethic of ‘gerechter Friede’(just peace) from the early 1990s. ⁷ However, Huber himself is not the first to use the concept. Huber actively accepted and developed the concept of just peace at the 6^th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Vancouver, Canada in 1983, and also at the Ecumenical Assembly held in Dresden, Germany in 1989, after ‘confirming that this concept is consistent with his own peace-ethical thinking.’ ⁸ Regarding Huber’s contribution, Kim summarizes it as follows:

As a member of the Public Responsibility Committee (Kammer für öffentliche Verantwortung) of EKD (1973-1994), he was involved in its own document on peace Schritte auf dem Weg des Friedens published in 1994 by outlining the basic contours of ‘just peace.’ And in 2007 after being elected as a chairperson of EKD, he published a white paper on peace titled Aus Gottes Frieden leben – für gerechten Frieden Sorgen by systematizing the characteristics of this concept theoretically. Huber’s idea later became the basic line toward which EKD pursued. ⁹

According to Just Peace Companion, justice and peace are a topic of constant interest within the World Council of Churches. First, such topics were closely discussed at the 6^th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Vancouver, Canada in 1983. Right here the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) was launched. Later in 1990 its world conference was held in Seoul. ¹⁰ Second, the Ecumenical Assembly held in Dresden, Germany in 1989 proposed that a theology of the principles of just peace should be developed. ¹¹

In addition, the central committee of the World Council of Churches, held in Johannesburg in 1994, created a program to overcome violence and stated that its purpose is to pursue ‘a culture of just peace.’ The 8^th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1998 called for the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) program, and fulfilled this program from 2001 to 2010 under the banner of ‘Churches Pursuing Reconciliation and Peace.’ After ending this program, the International Ecumenical Peace Conference (IEPC), which was held in Kingston, Jamaica in 2011 with the theme ‘Glory to God, Peace on Earth,’ announced a document, ‘An Ecumenical Call to Just Peace.’ And then in 2011 the World Council of Churches published Just Peace Companion as a commentary on the document. ¹² Furthermore, in 2013, this document was submitted to the 10^th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches, which was held with the theme ‘God of Life, Lead Us to Justice and Peace’ in Busan, Korea. And the Busan General Assembly adopted ‘Statement on the Way of Just Peace,’ ¹³ which reflects the contents of this document.

In Korean church, earnest discussions on just peace, though not many, started in the ecumenical area only after 1980s when the JPIC was launched at the Vancouver General Assembly in 1983 and the world conference of JPIC was held in Seoul in 1990. ¹⁴ Some more full-scale discussions on just peace took place much later around 2010s. ¹⁵

A Matrix of Peace, Justice, and the Gospel

Peace is also the most important topic in the context of the Korean Peninsula, which has been divided between North Korea and South Korea for a long time. It is notable that there had been some discussions on peace and justice even before 1980s. Here this article takes a close look at four main different positions within the whole spectrum of Korean church, each of which was represented by a famous and influential Korean theologian or pastor.

Firstly, Rev. Kyung-Chik Han (1902-2000) was a pastor of Youngnak Presbyterian Church in Seoul, currently belonging to the denomination of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK = Tonghap), which has Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary (PUTS). He founded Youngnak Presbyterian Church in 1945, after coming down to Seoul from North Korea due to the severe ideological confrontation right after Korean independence from Japanese imperialism. He became a very influential pastor in Korean church both in the evangelical side and in the ecumenical side. And he became a recipient of the Templeton Prize in 1992 in honor of his good works for people.

For Han, the most favorite biblical passage is John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’ He was sure that this passage is the gospel of God. ¹⁶ In his sermon ‘The Essence of the Gospel’ in 1958, Han says that the point and content of the gospel are found in Timothy 1:15, ‘The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners.’ ¹⁷ Here Han thinks that only the one Jesus Christ could solve the sins of human beings, which are threatening world peace. ¹⁸ Here an issue about peace is intricately complicated with human sins, and thus the realization of peace is possible only through the gospel of Jesus Christ which could solve human sins.

In another sermon ‘Righteousness and Peace’ in 1955, Han, referring to Jesus Christ, understands ‘this Melchiz’edek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God’ in Hebrews 7:1-2 as ‘king of righteousness’ and ‘king of Salem, that is, king of peace.’ Then Han proclaims that peace is the result of righteousness, and that righteousness is the precondition and ground of peace. His proclamation is particularly based on Isaiah 32:17, ‘And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust for ever,’ and also on Psalm 85:10, ‘Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.’ Therefore, while implying that righteousness goes together with justice, Han argues that only the righteousness of Jesus Christ could bring about peace in Korea, because the division between South Korea and North Korea is unrighteousness. ¹⁹ Here it is remarkable that Han prefers to use righteousness rather than justice, though the former implies the latter, and that Han links peace first directly to righteousness and then indirectly to justice.

Secondly, Byung-Mu Ahn (1922-1996) was a theologian belonging to the denomination of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK = Kijang) which has Hanshin University. As the founder of Minjung Theology, Ahn puts a focus on minjung (ὄχλος) in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 2:4), and understands that Jesus of Nazareth represents minjung. ²⁰ In this sense Ahn identifies Jesus as a social biography of minjung, saying, ‘Where there is Jesus together with minjung, there is minjung. And where there is minjung, there is Jesus.’ ²¹

According to Ahn, Jesus announced the gospel of God, saying ‘The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news’ in Mark 1:14-15. For Ahn, the gospel of Jesus is about the kingdom of God, which is ‘shalom’ (שָׁלוֹם‎) in the Old Testament and ‘eirene’ (εἰρήνη) in the New Testament. And for him, the kingdom of God means a new world which is full of justice, where minjung is liberated from political, economic, social, and cultural oppressions.

Regarding the peace and sword of Matthew 10:34, ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword,’ Ahn understands that sword is to destroy wrong order. Thus to say about peace without destroying wrong order is false peace, and to say about peace without destroying unfair and unjust vested rights is not true peace. In this sense Ahn suggests that we should take the lead in the realization of peace, which refers to the realization of justice. ²² Therefore, for Ahn, to take one’s cross means that we should be at the risk of one’s life to realize justice where we live. ²³ Here it is noteworthy that Ahn prefers to use justice rather than righteousness, though both are related to each other, and that Ahn links peace first directly to justice which already presupposes righteousness in the kingdom of God.

Thirdly, Rev. Hyun-Jo Hwang is a pastor, being very closely related to the denomination of the Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea (KPCK = Kosin) which has Kosin University. From a viewpoint of theological orientation, this denomination is very similar to the denomination of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (GAPCK = Hapdong) which has Chongshin University.

Hwang centers the gospel in the cross of Jesus Christ as the incarnation of God, who came to the world for the reconciliation between God and human beings. Hwang talks about the gospel of reconciliation, which is regarded to be the same as shalom and peace, clearly manifested through the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross. ²⁴ Anyway, for Hwang, the cross of Jesus Christ is ‘the center of history, and that of reconciliation between God and human beings.’ However, what is here noteworthy is that Hwang focuses the meaning of reconciliation primarily on a personal dimension of each individual, though not without implications for community and society. ²⁵

Thus, for Hwang, righteousness and justice also primarily refer to a personal dimension of each individual in relation to God. Being based on Ephesians 2:11-16, Hwang stresses that it is through the cross that Jesus Christ first reconciled each of us to God individually. Only then Hwang ascertains that Jesus Christ has broken down ‘the dividing wall of hostility’ among people, thereby making peace. And then Hwang extends the meaning of the cross even to community, society, and the world, but only very indirectly and implicationally. For this reason, Hwang criticizes the direct applications of the gospel to society, such as Christian socialism, social gospel movement, and liberation theology. ²⁶ In this way, Hwang solely focuses on the individual personal meaning of the gospel in relation to God, though not without social implications which only work through reconciled individuals or people as church.

And lastly, Sok-Hon Ham (1901-1989), called as ‘Gandhi of Korea,’ was a religious and social activist. Religiously, Ham originally grew up within a presbyterian background in an area of North Korea. But he was later influenced by the non-church movement of a Japanese Christian Uchimura Kanzo (1861-1930), and finally came to belong to Quaker movement through the Religious Society of Friends which teaches non-violence and pacifism. Therefore, Ham socially worked for human rights and democracy in Korea especially through his conviction of non-violence and pacifism.

The gospel is very important to Ham. He emphasizes Jesus’ own proclamation ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel’ in Mark 1:15. ²⁷ For him, the gospel is agape, that is, the love of God who is the source of history. And it is clearly summed up in John 3:16, ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.’ ²⁸ All world history including Korean history has manifested agape, in which God creates and rules the whole world, and in which people seek God through sufferings in life.

Here Ham says, ‘suffering is not a natural phenomenon without feeling and sentiment. Nor is it a trick of cruel fate. It is God’s providence.’ Agreeing with Gandhi that suffering is a principle of human life, Ham also says, ‘The road to the cross is the way of life.’ In this way Ham also agrees with Gandhi’s saying “peace through suffering” as an eternal verity. ²⁹ Ham remarkably focuses on the suffering of Jesus Christ, especially through paying all attention to sufferings manifested in the history of Korea for the past 5,000 years. Korean history has been crammed with so many sufferings such as wars, invasions, conflicts, and divisions, that Korea can be called ‘Queen of Suffering.’ ³⁰

Thus Ham challenges and asks us to follow a path of sufferings, by emphasizing Jesus’ own saying in Matthew 6:33, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.’ ³¹ He also suggests that we should take charge of the world’s iniquity and bear our burden of iniquity. In doing so, ‘We have to suffer. . . . . . . We have to suffer to change our two-dimensional view of life. We have to undergo even worse suffering to become true to self, to wipe out our attitudes of makeshift, to be delivered of our escapism.’ ³² Only in this way, as Ham expects, peace will come true.

Concluding Remarks

As discussed in the above, this article took a close look at the four famous and influential theologians or pastors, each of whom represented one position of the whole spectrum. Here it is very interesting to know that the four figures were directly or indirectly related to the one Presbyterian church of Korea established in the early 20^th century, which has been divided into several denominations. In parallel, the one Presbyterian seminary opened in Pyongyang in 1901 has been separated into several different seminaries, respectively founded by each divided denomination. As a consequence, though peace is a very urgent issue in Korean church and also in the Korean Peninsula, there had come to be such a hermeneutical diverse matrix of peace, justice, and the gospel, which was represented by the four main different positions within the whole spectrum. As mentioned in the beginning of this article, peace is the most important theme in human history and also in church history, but it is not so easy to lead to peace or to discuss on peace. Nonetheless, a robust theological discussion on peace in the future would require a more elaborate matrix of peace, justice, and the gospel, though with an open hermeneutical diversity.